


Why Must I Love You?

by orphan_account



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, F/M, Flowers, Hanahaki Disease, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Language of Flowers, Lots of flowers, M/M, Pain, Sadness, Temporarily Unrequited Love, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-03
Updated: 2017-03-08
Packaged: 2018-09-19 15:04:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 8,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9446744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Hanahaki disease. A lethal diesel that causes you to throw up different flowers until you die. The cause? Unrequited love. The cure?Loosing your love. Forever.





	1. Chapter 1

"Hey Rogue!" Sting said, running up to his best friend smiling. Rogue looked up from his book and blinked in surprise. Sting was running over to him with a huge grin on his face and he was waving his arms around like crazy.

"Sting? What is it?" Rogue asked, looking at his friend in bewilerment. Sting came up to him and smiled, showing off his pearly white teeth.

"Guess what!" He said giddily. Rogue blinked, before frowning and tilting his head in confusion.

"Um... what?" He asked, his red eyes gleaming with confusion. Sting grinned almost sheepishly, and rubbed the back of his head. He was practically bursting with happiness.

"I finally did it! I asked Lucy out and she said yes! Can you believe it?!" Sting nearly shouted. Rogue's eyes widened in shock, and slight horror. Sting was looking at him expectantly, and Rogue realized that he was waiting for him to say something. Recovering quickly, he smiled at Sting, making sure his eyes showed happiness.

"Really? That's awesome! Congratulations!" Rogue said, smiling. Sting grinned and high fived Rogue. 

"I can't wait!' Sting said, jumping around happily. Rogue watched him dance around, smiling softly. But his eyes held no happiness, only sadness. He was happy for Sting, but he loved Sting, and it hurt to see him in love with another. Rogue stood up and picked up his bag and book.

"The bell is going to ring soon, I'm going to head to my next class. I'll see you after school. Good luck with your date! I'm rooting for you." Rogue said. Sting blinked in surprise, before smiling.

"See yah Rogue! I'll see you later! And thanks!" Sting called, waving at Rogue. Rogue turned around and waved back, smiling. He turned around and immediately his smile fell, his eyes filling with sadness.

Slowly, the sad look in Rogue's eyes faded away, replaced with a blank look. He walked to his class with a feeling of dread in his stomach. He had a feeling, that something horrible was going to happen.

**Later...**

School was over and Sting was walking Lucy home, leaving Rogue to walk alone for the first time in many years. Rogue walked slowly, feeling empty. He was almost home, when, he broke into a coughing fit. He covered his mouth and coughed up some blood. He doubled over and coughed heavily. He let out one last cough and when he opened his eyes, he stared at the bachelor button that he'd coughed up in shock.

Rogue fell to his knees and started shaking, his eyes wide. "N-No...." He whispered in horror. He had coughed up a flower. That meant.... that he had the legendary Hanahaki disease. Tears came up and started to spill from his eyes and he let out a sob. 

"Ahhh!" He screamed and slammed his fists into the ground. He let out more screams and tears fell.

"WHY ME!?!" Rogue screamed. "WHY?!?!?!" He let out broken sobs and wails, clutching the flower tightly. Slowly, the beautiful bachelor button crumbled to ash in Rogue's hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flower meaning:  
> Bachelor button - anticipation


	2. Chapter 2

**The Next Day....**

"Hey Rogue! Wait up!" Sting yelled, running over to his friend. Rogue turned around and looked at his friend, smiling softly.

"Hey Sting. How are you?" He asked, tilting his head slightly. Sting grinned so brightly, he could've been mistaken for the sun.

"She likes me Rogue! And now we're officially dating!" Sting said, smiling happily. Rogue's eyes widened and his chest twisted painfully and he gave Sting a slightly forced smile.

"That's great." He said. Sting started rambling about his date and how awesome and sweet Lucy was. As Rogue listened to his friend talk, he started to feel breathless and soon he was panting a bit. His throat felt clogged and he felt like he couldn't breath.

"E-Excuse me." He rasped, before running off to the bathroom where he started coughing violently. Something started tickling his throat, blocking his air flow and he coughed, hitting his chest desperately, before he finally coughed up a yellow rose, with petals that were stained red with blood. Tears started to fall from his eyes, and he massaged his throat that was now throbbing painfully.

 _The rose must've cut my mouth..._ He thought, and he coughed up some more blood. He fell to the ground and leaned against the wall, panting. Blood dribbled from his mouth and tears fell from his eyes. 

He let out one more cough, before he wiped his eyes and his mouth. He stood up shakily, and stumbled over to the toilet and he flushed it, watching as the rose swirled before finally disappearing. 

He walked over to the sink and splashed water on his face. He opened his mouth, and examined it. He let out a small sigh of relief when he saw that the cut in his mouth was small. He grabbed some paper towel and made it damp, before he started dabbing his mouth. He winced in pain, and spat out dome blood, before sighing tiredly.

He rubbed his eyes and started cleaning his mouth once more, this time he didn't wince. A few minutes later, the bell rang and Rogue's eyes widened, his mouth was sore and a bit swollen, but despite this, he dumped all the paper towel in the bin and raced to class.

He made it to class, but he was five minutes late. His teacher frowned at him disapprovingly. Rogue gave him a slightly sheepish smile, saying he'd had a slight emergency, and because he was almost never late, he received no punishment.

Rogue coughed throughout the day, but he didn't cough up any more flowers. At lunch, he had noticed Sting and Lucy walking towards each other, and Rogue had quickly left for the library to avoid them.

He didn't hate Lucy, but he was jealous. He wanted to be the one by Sting's side. He wanted to be the one Sting held in his arms, to be the one that bright beautiful smile was directed to. He wanted to be the reason for Sting's happiness and his smile.

He avoided the two all day, going as far as sitting in the back corner of the classroom whenever he shared a class with either of them. The last block of the day was a study block for him and he went to the library.

He logged onto a computer and searched the Hanahaki Disease. Many options came up, most of them fanfictions. He finally found a site that actually had a bit of information.

His eyes widened when he saw a certain piece of information.

**'After a victim of the Hanahaki Disease coughs up eleven different flowers, they will have twenty-four hours left to live, before they cough up one different flower, as well as the previous eleven. This will cause the victims to be unable to breath, and will die from air deprivation.'**

Rogue stared at the information, his eyes wide and his heart beating rapidly. His eyes shined with unshed tears, and he covered his mouth with his hand to prevent a sob from escaping. 

_I-I'm going to die... in ten more days...._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flower meaning:  
> Yellow rose - friendship


	3. Chapter 3

Once again, Rogue walked home alone after school with a heavy feeling in his heart. His stomach twisted nervously, and he couldn't get over the fact that he was going to die in just ten more days. Rogue unlocked his front door and walked inside where his father, Skiadrum, was watching TV in the den. When he heard the door shut, he turned around and smiled at his son.

"Hello Rogue. How was your day at school?" Skiadrum asked. Rogue turned and gave his father a small smile.

"It was fine." He said softly. There was no way he was going to tell his father about the Hanahaki disease, because he would force Rogue to get the flowers removed, and Rogue didn't want that. He loved Sting too much, he couldn't bear the thought of losing his feelings for him. Besides, Sting would probably hear about the operation and that would most likely make their relationship extremely awkward.

"Dinner's in the fridge if you want any kiddo." Skiadrum said, before turning back around and continued to watch TV. Both Rogue and his father weren't great at talking, so they didn't have a lot of conversations and that was fine with both of them. Rogue climbed upstairs to his room and put his bag down on the floor. He closed his door and sank to the ground, staring at the ceiling. He swallowed a bit harshly, before standing up.

_If I'm going to die in ten days, then I'm going to make the best of them._ He thought, clenching his fist. He walked over to his computer and started emailing any friends or family he had outside of the country. He typed that he was missing them, but that was all. If he wrote anymore, he was frightened that he'd sound suicidal and they would contact his father. If that happened, Rogue would have to tell him about his 'condition'. He sighed, and logged off his computer. He stood up and walked over to his bed and flopped down face first. He let out a big sigh, wondering what to do next.

He rolled over and stared at his ceiling, deep in thought.  _What should I do? There isn't anything I want to do.... Maybe I can kiss Sting on the last day...? No.... That'd be foolish and plus, Sting would think that it was his fault that I died and I don't want him to have that guilt for the rest of his life._ Rogue sighed heavily, before closing his eyes and falling fast asleep.

**The Next Day...**

Rogue woke up with a groan. He sat up and gave a light cough, before sitting upright rubbing his chest. He could feel the light tickle of a flower petal and he swallowed harshly. He squeezed his eyes shut, before opening them again and climbing out of bed. His fists were balled together and the look in Rogue's eyes was a bit frightening. His eyes held fear and undying love. 

He quickly got dressed and headed downstairs. He walked into the kitchen and fixed himself some breakfast. Because he was going to die in ten, he was going to treat himself as much as possible. He grabbed his backpack and raced out the door, locking it behind him. He walked to school, still alone. When he arrived at school, he saw Sting and Lucy talking together, holding hands. Rogue felt sick to his stomach as he watched them interact and he suddenly began coughing.

Hearing the noise, Sting turned to see Rogue cough up blood into his hand and he watched shocked, as Rogue ran away, covering his mouth with his hand as he pushed through the crowd of students. Sting frowned in worry, before Lucy tugged the sleeve of his shirt, and he went back to talking to her.  _Rogue can take care of himself... He'll be fine._ Sting thought, smiling lovingly at Lucy.

Rogue ran through the crowd of students, covering his mouth and attempting to hold back his coughs. A few escaped and more blood fell onto his hand. Some students glanced at him in worry, and others simply ignored him. Finally, Rogue found a small secluded space and he removed his hand from his mouth. Rogue coughed violently and he spat out more blood, but this time he also spat out a flower. He smiled sadly at the large yellow sunflower that he'd spat up, before coughing once more. A few tears fell and he immediately wiped them away. Rogue wasn't sure why he kept crying, he had already accepted his fate, but for some reason the tears just wouldn't stop. Rogue sniffled, before clearing his throat. He wiped his mouth with his hand, and then wiped his hand on some leaves, attempting to clean them.

Rogue quickly turned around and ran back to school, just barely making it into class before the bell. The teacher had stared at him worriedly, but Rogue had ignored her and simply sat down in his seat without saying a word. For lunch, Rogue went to the library again, and read a book, though he couldn't concentrate on it. 

_Nine more days...._  Was all he could think.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flower meaning:  
> Sunflower - adoration
> 
> Ps: Sorry for the weird and awkward ending.


	4. Chapter 4

Rogue walked back to class, sighing. His next class was one that he shared wih Sting, and he was dreading it. This specific class had a seating arrangement and of course, he was sitting next to Sting. The teacher started talking, and Rogue attempted to pay attention but it was difficult because he could feel Sting's eyes burning holes in his head. Rogue's body was stiff and his eyes were staring straight ahead and he was purposely ignoring Sting.

 _Just keep ignoring him and he'll stop._  Rogue thought, trying to reassure himself.

"Sting! Come up here and answer this question." The teacher ordered. Sting jumped in his seat, before smiling sheepishly and walking up to the front of the class. He glanced back at Rogue, who was looking down at his lap. Sting frowned in worry, before he noticed the teachers glare and he quickly ran up to the front and answered the question.

After class was over, Rogue practically ran out of the class and ignored Sting when he called his name. Rogue ran to his class, which he thankfully didn't share with anyone. 

After that, the day went pretty smoothly and Rogue managed to avoid Sting. Before he had met Sting, he'd learned all the deserted ways to get to class. No one ever went through certain hallways unless they had too, and Rogue knew for a fact that Sting would never go down them because he didn't have any classes near them. 

Finally, the school day was over. Rogue walked out the front doors of the school and started walking the way home. Normally, he would wait for Sting, but he figured that Sting would be walking Lucy home again.

"Hey Rogue! Wait up! Rogue!" He heard Sting yell. Rogue turned around and stared at Sting with wide eyes. He stopped walking, and allowed Sting to catch up to him.

"Sting? Why aren't you walking Lucy home?" He asked, confused. Sting looked over at him with concern in his eyes.

"You've been acting weird, and I want to make sure you're okay." Sting said and Rogue almost wanted to laugh.  _Make sure I'm okay? You're a bit late for that._ He thought bitterly. Instead of saying that however, he simply smiled softly at Sting.

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine. You don't have to walk with me if you don't want to." Rogue said, and his heart twisted painfully. He swallowed and nearly shuddered when he felt a faint tickle in his throat. He resisted the urge to cough, instead choosing to clear his throat. Sting looked at him weirdly.

"Why wouldn't I want to walk with you?" Sting asked in bewilerment. Rogue shrugged and looked down at his feet. Sting frowned again, his worry for his friend increasing.  _Don't tell me he's going back to his old self!_ Sting thought. He knew that Rogue used to be bullied for his looks and that caused him to have a low self-esteem and even a bit of depression.

"No one is hurting you right?" Sting asked and this Rogue did let out a quiet laugh. The irony in that statement was too funny.

"No. No one is hurting me."  _No one except you...._

**The Next Day....**

It was the last day of school before the weekend and Rogue was actually kind of happy. He was thinking that maybe he would do something fun over the weekend since it might be his last. Rogue walked to school and went to his first class.

He coughed during all five of his classes, but still didn't cough up a flower. However, he knew he would soon because he could feel the flower petals tickle his throat. His first few classes were boring, nothing special. He barely payed any attention, and was constantly having to ignore Sting's stares which were getting very distracting.

Finally, it was lunch time. Rogue was going to head to the library, but on his way there he saw Sting. And unfortunately, Sting saw him as well. Immediately, Sting ran over to Rogue and gave him a smile.

"Where do you think you're going? Aren't you going to eat lunch with all your friends?" Sting asked, his eyes burning into Rogue's. Rogue swallowed and nodded meekly and allowed Sting to drag him to their usual lunch table.

Sting sat on Rogue's left, and no one sat on Rogue's right because he was on the end on the bench. Lucy sat on Sting's left, and they were talking quite a lot. Rogue just sat there awkwardly, and he shifted in his seat, fiddling with his fingers.

"After we ran from the resturant, we went to this park and there was this old dude who was sitting on the bench. We sat next to him and he started blabbing about how young couples are so cute, and then he apparently told our fortune! He said that we were going to stay happy forever and that things were going to work out in the end. We were just like..." 

Rogue's eyes widened when he realized that Sting was talking about his most recent date wih Lucy. Suddenly, Rogue felt sick to his stomach and he started coughing violently. He double over the table and coughed even more. He felt tears build up and felt the flower rise in his throat. He sat upright and stumbled away from the table, still coughing.

Everyone that had sat at their table stared at Rogue with wide eyes. Gajeel stood up and took a step towards him, worry on his face.

"Are you okay Rogue?" He asked and Rogue didn't answer. He coughed until he finally felt the flower in his mouth. His hand flew to his mouth and he started shaking. He spat out a few petals into his hand and his eyes went wide with horror. He swiftly ran away, tears falling from his face.

When he was finally away from prying eyes. He spat out the multiple anemone flowers that had been resting in his mouth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flower meaning:  
> Anemone - fragile


	5. Chapter 5

Rogue went home after he coughed up the anemone flower. His dad was concerned of course, but Rogue managed to convince him that he'd just eaten something foul and that he absolutely did not need to go to the clinic.

"Rogue? You okay?" Skiadrum asked, knocking on the door lightly before walking in. Rogue, who was lying in bed, rolled around to face him and smiled slightly,

"Hey dad. Yeah, I'm feeling fine." Rogue said softly. Skiadrum walked over to the bed and sat down. He stared at his son in worry and placed his hand in Rogue's hair, brushing it away from his eyes.

"Are you sure? You can tell me anything you know...." Skiadrum said and Rogue gave him a tired smile.

"Yeah, I know dad. I'm just tired..." Rogue said, but in truth, he just wanted his dad to wrap his arms around him and hold him tightly, because Rogue was terrified and anxious. He didn't want to die, he really, really didn't. Suddenly, Rogue felt his eyes fill with tears and he sat up and hugged his dad tightly. Skiadrum froze, and he slowly wrapped his arms around Rogue,

"Rogue? Is everything okay? What's wrong!" Skiadrum asked, stroking his hair soothingly and just let his son cry into his shoulder.

"D-Daddy... I'm scared..." Rogue whispered and Skiadrum's eyes widened and he hugged his son tightly. 

"Why? Why are you scared?" Skiadrum asked, his worry for his only son increasing.

"D-Daddy.... I-I don't wanna die!" Rogue wailed and Skiadrum's eyes widened in horror.

**Meanwhile...**

"Hey Sting...? Do you know what was wrong with Rogue at lunch?" Lucy asked in concern. Sting looked down at his girlfriend and sighed.

"I don't know. We haven't been talking a whole lot recently." Sting said sadly. Lucy frowned and looked down.

"Is that... my fault?" She asked, her bottom lip trembling and Sting's eyes widened.

"No! Of course not!" Sting said immediately, but he knew that Lucy didn't believe him. He leaned down and gently cupped Lucy's face, staring into her big brown eyes.

"Don't worry, everything will work out. I promise. We're gonna be happy, we're gonna stay happy." Sting promised, before leaning down and kissing her gently. Lucy kissed back and wrapped her arms around his neck. They pulled away and Lucy smiled at Sting.

"I love you Sting." She said softly, and Sting smiled back, leaning his forhead on hers, staring deep into her beautiful brown eyes.

"I love you too." He said smiling happily.

**At That Same Moment...**

Rogue suddenly pushed away from his dad and started coughing violently. Skiadrum stared at his son in worry. Rogue spat blood into his hand and continued to cough. Tears started falling from his eyes and some petals fell from his mouth. When Skiadrum saw the petals his eyes widened in horror. A few seconds later, Rogue spat out a three rhododendron flowers, and coughed some more.

"Rogue..." Skiadrum whispered and Rogue looked up at him with tear filled eyes.

"How long..." Skiadrum asked. Tears fell from Rogue's eyes and he let out a sob.

"I'm sorry!" Rogue cried. Skiadrum hugged Rogue tightly and a few tears escaped his eyes.

"It's okay Rogue, just tell me how long." Skiadrum said, now crying as well.

"F-Four days..." Rogue stammered and Skiadrum held Rogue tighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flower meaning:  
> Rhododendron - beware


	6. Chapter 6

**The Next Day...**

"Hey Rogue! You feeling better?" Sting asked when he spotted Rogue at school. Rogue looked up at him and Sting's eyes widened when he saw the scared and sad look in his eyes. 

"Rogue...?" Sting asked and Rogue looked away. Rogue clutched his arm and looked down at the ground, unable to look Sting in the eyes.

"Yeah... I'm feeling better..." Rogue muttered quietly, before pushing past Sting and walking into the school. Sting blinked, before turning around and taking a step towards Rogue.

"Rogue!" He called, but Rogue ignored him.

"Hey Sting!" Lucy called running up to her boyfriend and smiling. Sting gave her a soft smile before turning to where Rogue was, only to realize that he was gone. Sting frowned, staring at the school.  _Rogue...._

**Later...  
**

It was seventh block and Rogue was walking quietly through the halls. His eyes were dim and were focused on the ground.  _The day is almost over..._ Rogue thought and let out a sigh. He was still shocked that his dad hadn't forced him to remove the flower. They were both scared of Rogue dying, but Skiadrum knew that there was nothing he could do. His son was as stubborn as a rock. 

"Hey Rogue." 

Rogue jumped in surprise and looked up to see Sting looking at him, frowning in worry. Rogue blinked in surprise, before looking away and bitting his lip softly.

"Rogue, what's going on? You've been avoiding me lately like I'm the plague or something!? What the hell is going on?!" Sing cried, throwing his arms up. Rogue clutched his textbooks more tightly and looked to the side, trembling.

"Rogue... please.... I want to help you..." Sting said, staring at his best friend desperately. Rogue closed his eyes, holding back tears.

"It's too late to help." He said bitterly, before pushing past Sting once again and rushing away. Sting scowled angrily and followed him, refusing to let Rogue escape again. He grabbed Rogue's wrist and pulled him back. Rogue's eyes widened and he stumbled backwards, right into Sting. He struggled against Sting's grip, but to no avail.

"Sting! Let me go!" He said angrily and Sting frowned.

"Not until you tell me what's going on! Stop being a coward!" Sting said, just as angrily. Rogue froze and his heart clenched painfully. He suddenly started coughing violently and pushed himself away form Sting, covering his mouth. Sting watched with wide eyes as his best friend coughed.

"Rogue...?!" Sting asked and took a step forward.

"D-Don't! Ack-!" Rogue stammered. His throat was clogged and he couldn't breath.  _The flower-!_ Rogue thought, and he coughed up some blood. He spat out some flowers, and finally the flower became unlodged in his throat and he spat it onto the ground. Rogue coughed a few more times, before clearing his throat. He looks up to see Sting staring at the flower in horror.

"R-Rogue... i-is that...?" Sting stammered, staring at the white chrysanthemum. Rogue stared at Sting with wide eyes, before turning on his heel and fleeing the scene. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flower meaning:  
> White chrysanthemum - truth


	7. Chapter 7

Sting had no idea how long he just stared at the flower. A few minutes? Maybe a few hours? Sting didn't know. He was in too much shock. _Rogue... he has the Hanahaki disease..._  Sting swallowed harshly and took a step forward. He kept walking until he was right in front of the flower. He fell to his knees and picked up the bloody chrysanthemum. _Rogue...._ He thought and his eyes filed with tears. _Why didn't you tell me?!_

At that thought, the dam burst and Sting started sobbing loudly, holding the chrysanthemum to his heart.

Rogue ran through the halls, ignoring the stares he was recieving from his peers. He had to leave, he had to get away. He was terrified now that Sting knew and he didn't know why. He ran out the school doors, but he didn't stop. He didn't know where he was running, he was just letting his feet take him away.

He ended up in a park. There wasn't many people since it was nearing the end of the day, but he knew that would change soon. Tears streaming down his face, he walked through the park. Whenever he was upset, he would go to this secret place that Sting has shown him when they were younger.

He crawled under a bush and a few trees, until he finally came to a small clearing that was secluded from everyone else. Rogue stood up and wiped his tears, even though more fell. He walked over to a tree that had swing on it that he and Sting had made and sat down.

Slowly, the swing began to move and Rogue swung back and forth. He sniffed a few times and more tears rolled down his cheeks and onto the ground. Rogue could remember the last time he and Sting had come here together.

_"Rogue! I have something to tell you! You know Lucy Heartfillia right? Well, I think I'm in love with her!" Sting had told him excitedly. Rogue had stared at him in shock, before smiling at him._

_"Really? That's great Sting. I'm sure she likes you back." Rogue had said and he closed his eyes when he smiled. Rogue hadn't wanted Sting to see his heartache. Sting had smiled at him happily, and had hugged him. And as horrible as it was, Rogue couldn't help but wish that Sting never told Lucy about his feelings._

Rogue suddenly lurched forward, coughing. His eyes widened and he covered his mouth and continued to cough. He could feel the petals in his mouth and he quickly tried to spit the flower out, but he couldn't. Rogue's eyes widened in panic as he desperately tried to get rid of the flower. He gasped desperately for breathe and hit his chest repeatedly. Finally the flower came free and it fell to the ground.

Rogue fell off the swing and fell to his hands and knees. He panted heavily, before looking over at the white gladious flower lying on the ground.

_Five more flowers to go...._ He thought.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flower meaning :   
> Gladiolus flower - strength of character


	8. Chapter 8

Rogue stayed at the park for a long time. He waited for a good amount of time, just crying and staring at the gladiolus flower. Finally, at around seven o'clock, Rogue stood up and walked home, ignoring the stares he recieved. The metalic taste of blood stayed in his mouth and Rogue swallowed, trying to get rid of it. Some blood was smudged on his cheek and a bit around his mouth. He supposed that was the reason for the stares he was getting, people probably assumed that he had gotten in a fight. When Rogue got home, he was shocked to see Sting sitting in the den, watching TV. Rogue shut the door softly and Sting turned around at the noise. Rogue froze and stared at Sting before looking away.

"Rogue! Where have you been?! Are you okay? Is that blood?" Skiadrum asked, rushing over to his son and enveloping him in a hug. Rogue hugged back and breathed in the comforting scent of his father.

"I'm fine Dad..." Rogue said softly. Skiadrum pulled away and looked at his son with worry in his eyes.

"I was so worried." Skiadrum said softly, before pulling Rogue back into a hug. Rogue felt his eyes well up with more tears and he buried his head into his Dad's chest.

"I'm sorry dad." Rogue whispered. Sting watched the exchange silently, waiting patiently for his turn to speak with Rogue. After a few seconds, Skiadrum pulled away again and placed a soft kiss on Rogue's forhead.

"Sting's been waiting to speak with you. Call if you need me okay?" Skiadrum said and Rogue nodded. Skiadrum smiled at his son, before leaving the room. Nervously, Rogue turned and faced Sting, but kept his eyes focused on the floor. Sting stared at him and Rogue shifted under his gaze.

"Rogue, does your father know?" Sting asked and Rogue flinched, before nodding. Sting sighed and stood up.

"Rogue.... Why didn't you tell me?" He asked and Rogue folded up on himself even more. Sting frowned and reached over and grabbed Rogue's hand. Rogue's eyes widened and he looked up at Sting in shock. A blush swiftly appeared and Rogue bashfully looked back down at the ground.

"I-I was scared...." Rogue muttered and Sting blinked in surprise before frowning. 

"Rogue.... how many more flowers...?" He asked quietly and Rogue looked away, unsure if he should answer or not. 

"Five more..." He muttered and Sting stared at him in shock.

"Rogue! You need to get the flower removed!!!" He said and Rogue's eyes widened. He suddenly yanked his hand away from Sting and turned away.

"No." He said in refusal and Sting glared at him slightly.

"Rogue! You're going to die if you don't get it removed! Is this girl really that important?" He demanded and Rogue glared at the floor in frustration.

"Would you die for Lucy...?" He asked quietly and without hesitation, Sting answered.

"Of course!" He said and Rogue flinched.

"Well, I would die for this person. It's no different. I'm done talking. Goodbye Sting." Rogue said, turning on his heel and walking away, leaving Sting to stared after him helplessly. Once Sting was out of sight, Rogue rushed to his room. When Sting had said that he'd die for Lucy, Rogue felt another flower rise in his throat. He'd had barely any time before he would've begun coughing, and he didn't want Sting to see that again. He slammed the door shut and fell to his knees coughing heavily. He put and hand on his mouth, trying to prevent any blood from spilling on the carpet. Rogue continued to cough, but the flower would not leave his windpipe. His eyes widened in panic and he coughed as hard as he could. The flower came out of his mouth and Rogue gasped in relief.

The flowers were getting harder and harder to hold back. They were also staying in his windpipe for too long. Rogue could only guess it was because he was getting closer to death. He looked over at the stripped carnation that lied in a small pool of blood with slight dread.

_Four more left...._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flower meaning:  
> Stripped carnation - refusal


	9. Chapter 9

Rogue woke up he next morning feeling very exhausted. After he'd coughed up the last flower, he'd collapsed on his bed and fell asleep immediately. He sat upright and rubbed his arms tiredly. He stood up on shaky legs and quickly got dressed. Rogue walked downstairs and he stared at the sleeping form of Sting in shock.

 _WHAT THE HELL IS STING STILL DOING HERE?!?!?_ Rogue thought in disbelief. Sting decided at that exact moment to wake up and he looked over at Rogue blankly.

"Sting. WHAT THE HELL ARE STILL DOING HERE?!?!" Rogue yelled in anger and Sting jumped back and fell off the couch. Sting quickly stood up and grabbed Rogue by the shoulders.

"Rogue! Are you okay? When I heard you coughing last night I got worried!" Sting said and Rogue stared at Sting, feeling his face warm up considerably. Rogue quickly covered it up with a scowl. Rogue silently cursed his heart for fluttering softly.

"Sting. Let. Me. Go." Rogue said through gritted teeth and Sting smiled awkwardly and let him go.

"Sorry." Sting said and released Rogue, who took a step back. Rogue scowled angrily at Sting, before turning around and walking into the kitchen. Rogue angrily grabbed various foods and started preparing breakfast. Sting watched him with a frown, not knowing exactly why Rogue was being so aggressive.

"Rogue, what's wrong?" Sting asked dumbly. Rogue stopped what he was doing and turned around, glaring harshly at Sting. Sting simply stared at him blankly. Rogue huffed angrily, before ignoring Sting and going back to making breakfast.

"Rogue?" Sting repeated and Rogue growled in annoyance,

"You wanna know the reason I'm angry? You're the reason Sting Eucliffe! Why don't you just leave me alone already- ack!" Rogue yelled before covering his mouth, cursing slightly. Sting watched with wide eyes as he watched his friend coughed up blood, some of it spilling from his fingers. Sting suddenly lurched forward and wrapped his arms around Rogue, staring at him wih wide, concerned eyes.

Rogue doubled over Sting's arms, coughing heavily. His throat started to ache painfully and he started making wheezing noises when the flower became stuck in his throat. Rogue gasped, desperatly trying to get a breath. His hands flew to his throat and Sting's eyes widened in panic when he realized that Rogue was choking. Sting quickly started hitting Rogue's back and a flower flew out of Rogue's mouth and onto the floor.

Sting stared at the yellow tulip with a dreadful feeling settling in his stomach as he held Rogue's limp body. His eyes suddenly widened with panic when he realized what that could mean.

"Rogue?! ROGUE!!!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flower meaning:  
> Yellow tulip - Hopelessly in love
> 
> A.n   
> Short chapter is short. -_-


	10. Chapter 10

Rogue opened his eyes and stared at the blank ceiling. He blinked in surprise, before looking to the side, only to see a white wall.

"Rogue!" He heard someone say happily and suddenly he was envelopped in a warm hug. When he spotted the familiar mop of blonde hair, he relaxed and hugged Sting back. Rogue let out a small happy sigh as warmth sank into his dreary body.

"Sting? What happened?" Rogue asked and Sting pulled away. Rogue nearly wimpered at the heat loss, but managed to control himself. Sting stared at him with wide happy eyes, but also very concerned ones.

"You coughed up another flower and then you passed out. I thought you died..." Sting said, whispering the last part and Rogue's eyes widened, before looking away.

"No... I won't die... Not yet... I still have two more flowers to go." Rogue said quietly and Sting stared at him in shock.

"W-Wait, it's only two?!" He said in disbelief and Rogue nodded, not meeting Sting's gaze. Sting sat down, his eyes wide with shock. He ran a hand through his hair and suddenly there was a knock at the door. Both teenagers glanced at the door as it creaked open to reveal a nurse.

"Ah, I see Mister Cheney has woken up." The nurse said and Rogue suddenly realized that he was in the hospital. Rogue stared at the nurse with wide, scared eyes.  _D-Did they remove the flower?!_ He thought in panic.

"Mister Cheney, it appears you have the Hanahaki disease, and the flower has gotten quite large. I take it you've had the disease for awhile?" She said and Rogue nodded numbly. The nurse looked up from her clipboard and stared directly into Rogue's eyes.

"Would you like it removed?" She asked and Rogue relaxed.  _They haven't removed it... Thank god..._ He thought in relief. He looked at the nurse and shook his head. The nurse nodded in understanding.

"Well Mister Cheney, you may leave now if you have no other medical problems." She said and Rogue gave her a small smile, before looking at Sting, who was staring at his lap frowning in frustration. Rogue swallowed, and looked down guiltily. The nurse watched the exchange silently, before leaving the room.

 _I hope those boys find happiness..._ She thought.

**A Few Minutes Later...**

Sting and Rogue exited the hospital in silence. Sting walked ahead, while Rogue trailed behind him, staring at the ground in guilt. Suddenly, Sting stopped walking, but didn't turn around. Rogue looked at him in confusion.

"So, who is it?" Sting asked and Rogue blinked in surprise.

"Huh?" He asked and Sting turned around.

"Who are you in love with?" Sting asked, staring at Rogue with a blank face. Rogue looked down and hugged himself.

"Why does it matter?" Rogue mumbled and Sting stared at him in slight anger.

"Why won't you tell me?! I'm your best friend! Don't you care about me?!" Sting demanded, taking a step forward while Rogue took a step back.

"Of course I care about you! I just... can't tell you..." Rogue said, but that only seemed to make Sting angrier.

"What the hell Rogue?! I've told you my secrets! Poured my heart out to you! I even told you that I love Lucy! Why can't you just tell me!?" Sting demanded and Rogue took another step back. His heart twisted painfully, and Rogue covered his mouth, but it was too late. Blood spilled from his mouth and onto the ground while Sting stared at him in horror and shock. This time, Sting took a step back while Rogue stared at him. Sting looked at him, before turning away and running with tears spilling from his eyes. Rogue's eyes widened in horror and he reached a hand out at Sting, before falling to his knees, coughing violently.

This time, when the flower became stuck in his throat, Rogue didn't try to get it out. He coughed on instinct and tears fell from his eyes. Rogue fell to the ground and coughed up more blood, which pools around him. Finally, the flower fell from his mouth and the bloody primrose was the last thing Rogue saw before his eyes fluttered shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flower meaning:  
> Primrose - I can't live without you


	11. Chapter 11

Sting ran as fast as he could, his mind in a panic. Rogue's refusal to tell him who he loved had spelt it out for Sting. The fact that Rogue loved him and that all of this was his fault, terrified Sting. Tears were streaming down his face as he ran. He had no particular destination in mind, but he knew he would end up at the park and in the special spot he had shown Rogue when they'd first become friends. Sting crawled under the bushes and trees, until he finally arrived at the small clearing. He often went here to calm his thoughts and to straighten things out. Sting walked over to the small swing hanging from the tree, but froze a few feet away.

He stared at the blood staining the ground and the bloody gladiolus flower in shock and sadness. He walked foward until he was right in front of the stained flower. He bent down and gently picked it up, staring at its bloody petals.  _Rogue..._ Sting thought and he twirled the flower in his fingers. Sting jumped slightly when he heard a ring. He pulled out his phone and blinked in slight surprise when he realized Lucy was calling him.

Hesitantly, Sting pressed accept and brought the phone to his ear.

"Lucy?" He said, staring blankly ahead. He heard a few sniffles on the other end, but he couldn't bring himself to care all that much. His mind was 100% focused on Rogue.

"S-Sting... I-I'm so sorry!" Lucy wailed from the other side and Sting blinked dumbly.

"What are you sorry for?" He asked blankly and Lucy let out a loud sniffle.

"You know don't you? I'm really sorry Sting!" Lucy sobbed and Sting felt irritation rise in him.

"What are you sorry for?!" He said in annoyance and their as a pause on the other line. Sting scowled in annoyance, but stayed quiet and instead decided to stare at the gladiolus flower.

"S-Sting... I-I don't love you..." Lucy whispered and Sting blinked in surprise.

"Oh." He said simply, his mouth forming an 'o' shape. There was another pause on the line, before Lucy spoke again.

"Y-You're not m-mad...?" Lucy asked hesitantly, and Sting's eyes widened in realization. Lucy was right. Sting wasn't mad, in fact he felt kinda... relieved.

"No." Sting answered, surprised how easily he was taking this. "So, who do you love?" Sting asked casually and he walked over to the swing and sat down.

"W-What do you mean?" Lucy asked and Sting let out a small bitter laugh.

"I'm not stupid Lucy. Someone obviously captured your heart and made you realize that you didn't have romantic feelings for me." Sting said.

"I-It's Natsu..." Lucy said softly and Sting could picture her blushing face. "Hmm..." Sting hummed.

"I think I might have feelings for Rogue." Sting said and Lucy let out a small gasp.

"R-Really?" SHe asked and Sting hummed again. "I wish you the best of luck." Lucy said and Sting blinked, before smiling. 

"Thanks Luc." Sting said, before hanging up. Sting glanced down at the gladiolus flower again, before standing up. He placed the flower on the ground gently, before running back to the hospital.

**Meanwhile...**

Rogue's eyes opened tiredly and he sat up. Rogue rubbed his eyes and looked around. His eyes widened when he saw Sting staring at him with gentle eyes.

"Sting...?" Rogue asked tiredly, before his eyes widened and he sat up straight, hitting his head against Sting's.

"S-STING?!" He nearly yelled, staring at Sting with wide eyes. Sting rubbed his forehead, before looking at Rogue, guilt clear in his eyes.

"Hey Rogue..." He said softly, looking down at the ground. An awkward silence filled the air as both teens avoided looking the other in the eyes. Suddenly, Sting wrapped his arms around Rogue, and buried his head in Rogue's back.

"Rogue.... I'm sorry I ran... I was scared." Sting whispered and Rogue blinked dumbly.

"You were... scared..." He asked in bewilerment and he felt Sting nod against his back.

"I was scared of your feelings. Of what they meant. I was scared of the guilt that I'm the cause of this." Sting said, tears starting to appear and Rogue froze in Sting's arms.

"Y-You know...?" Rogue whispered and Sting nodded again.

"I realized it when you refused to tell me who you loved. Plus... you always seemed to cough up flowers around me." Sting said and a few tears fell from his eyes. Rogue bit his lip and shifted in Sting's lap. Rogue swallowed harshly and his eyes widened when he felt the petals in his mouth.

"S-Sting... I-I..." Rogue tried to say, before coughing. Sting's eyes widened in alarm and Rogue put a hand on his shoulder. Rogue spat out a bachelor button and it fell to the ground. Sting was about to relax, when Rogue coughed up another flower, this time a yellow rose. Sting's eyes grew large when he realized what was happening. 

Rogue was dying.

Sting grabbed Rogue's shoulders and shook him. "Rogue! How do I stop it?! How do I save you?!" Sting said in desperation and Rogue smiled weakly.

"Y-You... c-c-can't...." Rogue stammered weakly, before coughing again, blood spilling from his mouth. More flowers spilled from his mouth and fell to the ground in a bloody mess. Sting could only watch helplessly as Rogue slowly died. Tears fell from both of their eyes and Sting looked around frantically, but no one was around to help. Sting held Rogue close, who was still coughing, and cried. He wailed, he screamed, but nothing was happening.

"S-Sting.... I-It'll b-be... o-okay..." Rogue stammered weakly, before a bright yellow and orange sunflower fell from his lips and a lilac was soon coughed up as well. Sting cried even harder, begging to any god that was listening to save Rogue.

"I-It's not going t-to be o-okay! I l-love you too! P-Please don't leave m-me!!" Sting cried and brought Rogue to his chest, burying his head in Rogue's hair and sobbing loudly. Rogue froze when he heard what Sting said, and he let out another lighter cough, before looking at Sting with wide eyes.

"W-What?" Rogue asked, still coughing lightly. Sting sniffed and hugged Rogue tightly.

"I... I love you too." Sting whispered, not hesitating at all and Rogue stared at him. Rogue reached over and grabbed Sting's face, pulling him into a kiss. Sting's eyes widened in surprise, but he immediatly kissed back. Rogue kissed him desperatly, praying that he didn't lose his life. But even if he did, Rogue wouldn't have minded. They kept kissing, neither of them wanting it to end, not now.

Finally, they pulled apart, both of them panting. Sting cradled Rogue's face and stared at him lovingly. Rogue was breathing heavily, but reconnected their lips again. Rogue grasped Sting's shoulders and pressed his body closer to Sting's. Sting wrapped his arm around Rogue's waist and pulled him as close as physically possible. They pulled away and Rogue rested his head on Sting's shoulder.

"Rogue... Are you... okay...?" Sting asked, staring at his best friend in deep concern. Rogue blinked, before his hand drifted to his heart.

"I think it's gone... I feel... lighter?" Rogue said in slight confusion. Sting let out a sigh of relief and hugged Rogue tightly.

"Thank god..." Sting said and closed his eyes in relief. Rogue smiled and closed his own in relief. They relished in each others presences, neither of them noticing the bloody Forget-Me-Not that lied on the ground with the other eleven.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flower meaning:  
> Forget-Me-Not - remember me forever


	12. Epilogue

**A Few Years Later...**

Rogue opened his eyes lazily and rolled over, smiling when he saw the face of his lover. Rogue let out a small yawn, before moving closer to Sting and snuggling with him. Rogue let out a content sigh, before closing his eyes once more and falling back asleep.

Rogue woke up to the smell of bacon. Almost immediately, Rogue sat up and sniffed the air again, before a small tired smile broke onto his face. He glanced over and saw that Sting wasn't in bed, which meant that he was the one cooking. Rogue quickly got out of bed, tied his hair back, before making his way downstairs to the kitchen. He leaned against the doorway and allowed a soft smile appear on his face when he saw his lover cooking. Rogue pushed off the wall of and walked over to Sting. He leaned over and pecked him on the cheek which caused Sting to jolt.

"Morning..." Rogue said and Sting turned around to face him.

"Morning love." He said, stealing a kiss on the lips. Rogue smiled again, before looking around Sting curiously.

"Whatcha making?" He asked, trying to catch a glimsp of what Sting was cooking, but his boyfriend stopped him.

"Nope! You gotta wait till it's ready." Sting said smiling, before turning back around. Rogue let out an annoyed whine and pouted slightly.

"You do realize I can smell the bacon?" He said, his pout fading into a grin. Sting stiffened, before laughing slightly.

"Yeah, okay you can smell one thing. But I'm not making just bacon." Sting said, a smile crawling onto his face as well. Rogue smirked slightly and put his hands on his hips.

"I don't believe you." He said and Sting frowned.

"Hey! I'm making pancakes and some waffles!" Sting defended and a sly grin broke onto Rogue's face.

"So that's what you're making." Rogue said triumphantely and Sting's jaw dropped.

"Curse your phsycology major." Sting said, but he wasn't mad. Rogue laughed and wrapped his arms around Sting.

"Forgive me?" He said, staring up at his tall boyfriend. Sting pouted, before smiling and kissing Rogue on the lips.

"Fine. Apology accepted." He said and Rogue kissed him on the cheek.

"I'll go set the table." Rogue said, before letting Sting go and walking out to the dinning room. A few minutes later, Sting came out carrying pancakes, waffles and bacon. He set the three plates on the table, before pulling out a chair for Rogue.

"Madame." He teased and Rogue rolled his eyes before sitting down. Sting took a seat beside him and they both started eating.

"So, what do you wanna do today?" Sting asked, looking at Rogue.

"I have to work till four." Rogue said and Sting frowned.

"I thought you took the day off." He said and Rogue sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"One of my co-workers has the flu and I was the only one left." Rogue said and Sting's frown deepened.

"You shouldn't of said yes." Sting said. "It's our anniversary, remember?"

"Of course I remember! I don't have to leave till eleven, and its nine right now. I won't be working for very long." Rogue said. Sting grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

"Hey, I'm sorry if I sounded mad. I'm not mad at you, I'm mad at your boss." Sting said, and Rogue's guilty look faded away. They finished eating and put the dishes away. They then sat on the couch and watched some TV, snuggling with each other. Finally, 10:30 rolled around and Rogue sat up, pecking Sting's lips.

"I gotta get ready now Sting-bee." Rogue said softly and Sting frowned, before pulling Rogue back down and pecking him lightly on the lips.

"Mmm.... S-Sting.... I need... to get ready..." Rogue mumbled between kisses and Sting let out a small whine. His grip on Rogue's waist tightened and Rogue placed his hands on Sting forearms and attempted to push Sting away. 

"S-Sting..." Rogue mumbled again and Sting finally pulled away, but didn't let Rogue go.

"Stay..." Sting said, burying his head in Rogue's neck. Rogue let out a small laugh and kissed Sting's head.

"I'll be home by four and then we can spend all day together." Rogue promised with a gentle smile and Sting reluctantly let him go, but not before stealing another kiss.

**Later...**

Sting let out a long sigh and rolled over, and started whining sadly. Rogue had left little over an hour ago and Sting felt very lonely. Sting let out another sigh, before sitting up and looking over at the clock. Sting's face fell flat when he saw it was only one o'clock. 

Sting eventually decided to go and find something to get Rogue for their anniversary.  _What to get...._ Sting thought as he walked through the mall. When he spotted a certain shop, his eyes widened excitedly.  _That's perfect!_

**That evening...**

"Sting! I'm home!" Rogue called and Sting appeared around the corner with his hands behind his back. Rogue raised an eyebrow at him, before hanging up his coat. Sting smiled widely at him, looking very proud of himself. Rogue walked over to him and kissed him on the lips.

"Whatcha got behind your back?" Rogue asked when he pulled away and Sting smile, before holding his hands out to reveal a large colorful bouquet of flowers. Rogue's eyes widened when he was handed the assortment of red carnations, daffodils, pansies, red roses, and pink and red tulips.

'S-Sting... This is... This is beautiful..." Rogue whispered staring at the beautiful bouquet. Sting smiled and wrapped his arms around Rogue's waist.

"I think flowers are beautiful, and I wanted both if us to be more comfortable with them.." Sting said smiling sadly at the flowers. Rogue blinked, before smiling sadly as well.

"They're still beautiful..." Rogue said softly and Sting nodded again. Rogue smile, before gently turning to face Sting and kissed him slowly.

"Thank you Sting. Now, let's go make dinner."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flower meaning:  
> Red carnation - love, pride and admiration  
> Multipule daffodils - joy and happiness  
> Pansy - loving thoughts  
> Red rose - passionate love  
> Pink tulip - caring  
> Red tulip - declaration of love


End file.
